Victim Found Dead by 4-Year-Old Daughter
Two men have been indicted for allegedly selling fentanyl that allegedly caused the death of a former high school acquaintance.
On February 12, a 4-year-old discovered her father dead in Brentwood. The Suffolk County Medical Examiner would later rule the death was the result of fentanyl intoxication.
In their attempt to locate the source of supply of the fatal batch of fentanyl, police separately began to investigate Isaiah Skees Pierre Louis (also known as Isaiah Skees) as an alleged supplier of pressed fentanyl pills in the Amityville area. A member of the police department, acting in an undercover capacity, allegedly arranged to purchase pressed pills from Skees on three separate occasions between late February and early March.
On two of the three occasions, Skees was allegedly driven to the location of the prospective exchange by a subject later determined to be Steven Pesantez. After the first sale of pills to the undercover officer, Skees allegedly texted the undercover officer to ask him how he liked the product, to which the officer pretended to dislike the pills. Skees allegedly responded by texting “I don’t get the crazy strong ones no more. My man caught a body off them.” That exchange came six days after the death of the Brentwood father.
Pesantez, 29, of Brentwood, was arrested on July 22 for an unrelated burglary, for allegedly breaking and entering into the home of his former girlfriend. At the time of the arrest, a probation search was executed at Pesantez’ home, at which time law enforcement allegedly recovered a quantity of blue M30 pills believed to be Percocet, a highly addictive opioid usually prescribed by doctors to treat pain. The pills were identical in size, color, and markings as those allegedly sold by Skees to the undercover officer. Also allegedly recovered were a quantity of cocaine, and a digital scale.
On August 1, Skees, 27, of Bay Shore, was arrested and charged with the sale of the fentanyl pressed pills to undercover detectives. Upon his arrest, Skees was allegedly found to be in possession of a quantity of fentanyl powder.
Pesantez was arraigned on the indictment before Supreme Court Justice Richard Ambro for the following charges:
- three counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, all Class B felonies;
- one count of Attempted Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, a Class C felony
- five counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, all Class D felonies
- one count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree, a Class B felony
- one count of Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia in the Second Degree, a Class A misdemeanor
Ambro ordered Pesantez held on $50,000 cash, $200,000 bond or $300,000 partially secured bond during the pendency of the case. Pesantez is due back in court on September 26 and faces up to 12 years in prison if convicted on the top count.
On August 28, Skees was arraigned on the indictment before Ambro for the following charges:
- three counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, Class B felonies
- one count of Attempted Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, a Class C felony
- four counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, Class D felonies
- one count of Attempted Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, a Class B felony
- one count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Seventh Degree, a Class A misdemeanor
Ambro ordered Skees held on $25,000 cash, $100,000 bond or $250,000 partially secured bond during the pendency of the case. Skees is due back in court on October 1, and faces up to nine years in prison if convicted on the top count.
“No child should ever have to find their parent dead from an overdose,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. “Public safety demands that we treat each of these deaths not as accidents, but as preventable tragedies caused by deliberate criminal conduct.”